Leadertec x FERO: How a simple, intelligent checkout experience reels in a 33% conversion uplift with FERO
Discover how niche fishing equipment brand Leadertec achieved an uplift in checkout conversions using FERO’s AI checkout engine.
“Even if I could recover 10% or 20% of those people, that would be quite substantial. FERO helped us do even better.”
Meet Leadertec
For more than two decades, Leadertec has been a trusted online destination for big game fishing enthusiasts around the world. Peter built Leadertec the old-fashioned way: through passion, patience, and an obsession with quality.
His customers span continents, from Portugal to Japan, drawn in by his expertise and care for detail. “It’s grown organically, with good-quality customers,” he said. “Recommendations and magazine articles have always been my best source of business. You keep those customers forever.”
But even a niche brand with loyal followers faces the same challenge as many small eCommerce stores: turning browsers into buyers.
The Challenges
Like many founder-led businesses, Peter handled everything himself, from product sourcing to customer service. But when it came to online performance, one thing stood out: too many shoppers were abandoning their carts before completing checkout.
“I could see people dropping out at every stage,” he explained. “Even if I could recover 10% or 20% of those people, that would be quite substantial.”
He had experimented with online advertising but found it unsustainable for a niche market. “I realized I was spending $1,000 a month on Adwords,” he said. “That might not sound much for big companies, but for me, it was quite a lot.”
What Peter needed wasn’t more traffic. It was a smoother, smarter checkout experience.
The Experiment: Two Weeks with FERO
Peter decided to test FERO’s intelligent checkout through a two-week A/B experiment on Leadertec’s WooCommerce store.
An adaptive checkout engine that uses predictive AI to automatically adjust, showing the right design, layout, or payment option based on the shopper's behaviour. It integrates easily with ecommerce platforms and can be deployed in under 10 minutes.
The results were immediate: a 33% uplift in checkout conversions in just 14 days.
“Well, certainly no one would complain about a 33% uplift,” Peter said with a smile. “It’s my busy time of year, so it may not be the full story, but the fact remains I had more orders than expected this month.”
Even more interesting was the type of orders Leadertec was seeing. “My average order is usually around £60–£70,” he explained, “but lately there have been more orders of £15–£30. I don’t know if that’s connected, but it’s interesting.”
This pattern fits with what FERO’s team often sees: when checkout is fast and intuitive, shoppers are more likely to complete even smaller, spontaneous purchases.
The early uplift wasn’t just encouraging, but it provided real insight into customer behaviour. By simplifying the buying process, FERO helped Leadertec capture a segment of customers who previously abandoned the cart - those making lower-value, impulse purchases.
The Founder’s Perspective: A Thoughtful Early Adopter
For someone who calls himself “a bit of a Luddite at heart,” Peter was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the process was. “The experience thus far has been positive,” he said. “Tom’s easy to work with, and the product on the face of it is a good one, with a long way to go.”
That collaborative mindset is central to both Leadertec and FERO. Steady improvement, clear communication, and results that speak for themselves.
Looking ahead, Peter’s eager to see how FERO’s upcoming features such as upsells and agentic commerce might further enhance the customer experience.